Evaluations of 2010 CASL Conference

external image msword.png Charles Smith author presentation.docexternal image msword.png Michelle Luhtala presentations.doc

external image msword.png Breakfast program evaluation.docexternal image msword.png Vendors participants missed seeing.doc

external image msword.png Gwyneth Jones presentations.docexternal image msword.png Preference for future conferences.doc

external image msword.png Smaller breakout sessions.docexternal image msword.png Rating the Conference Overall.doc

CASL Conference, 2010

Theme: Transliteracy in a Mobile World
Keynote Presenter: Buffy Hamilton
Luncheon/General Session Speaker: Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Author Jake Halpern will present 2 sessions.
Selected presenters will be offered free registration for one person per team.
Breakfast theme will be One Book, One Conference. Choices are listed below.
Pre-conference: Buffy Hamilton has agreed to present a hands-on, web 2.0 workshop on Sunday.
Paula Daitzman is our vendor chairperson. She is finalizing packets and information to be mailed to our vendors.
Local authors will be offered free table space in the Vendor areas. (Lucia is contacting them)

The committee is reviewing the following titles for the One Book, One Conference selection. Please share your thoughts in the Breakfast Program discussion.

Bernie Trilling's 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times
Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher
Doug Johnson's School Libraries Head for the Edge: Rants, Recommendations, and Reflections
Drive by Daniel Pink
Socialnomics by Erik Qualman
The Socially Networked Classroom by William Kist
The Element:How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Sir Ken Robinson

Proposal summaries were distributed at the last board meeting. The document will be forwarded to members who were not able to attend. We may need to schedule an additional meeting to discuss these proposals, because time is limited at the board meetings.


Discussion Items for May

  • Choose the title for our One Book, One Conference Breakfast.Titles are listed above, and have been sent to the PD committee for input.
  • 25 presentation proposals were submitted. The PD committee began reviewing them last month, will continue on Wednesday.
  • Registration Fees
  • Pre-conference: Buffy Hamilton has confirmed a hands on workshop. Do we want other presentations? What do we want the day to look like?
  • Vendor update: Paula is working on vendor packets, and they will be mailed to our vendors.
  • Rough Draft of Registration form.
  • Mary Lou said: Only 40 vendors exhibited at CLA Conference....expect for a small number for us as well. Book Expo America, however, in NYC in April, is jam packed. Vendors are exhibiting there. Paula is working on this. The state of the economy will have an impact on us in many ways, including the # of vendors.

Registration Fees for the 2010 CASL Fall Conference:


Based on previous discussions, I have put together a tentative registration fee table. Please share your thoughts. My main question is whether or not to have different pay scales for members vs. non-members. It's confusing, since we give members until November to renew.

Members:



Early Bird (prior to 9/25)
9/25 to 10/31
Onsite, after 10/31
Pre-Conference
$75
$80
$80
One Book Breakfast(Limited space, so sign up early
$25
$25
$25
Conference
$105
$140
$175
Dues-if you haven’t renewed yet
$40
$40
$40






Non-members: Do we want separate fees for non-members?


Early Bird (prior to 9/25)
9/25 to 10/31
Onsite, after 10/31
Pre-Conference
$75
$80
$80
One Book Breakfast
$25
$25
$25
Conference
$130
$165
$200
Dues if you were not a member last year
$40
$40
$40




Students/Retirees:


Fees
Pre-Conference
$50
One Book Breakfast
$25
Conference
$90
Dues
$25





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Discussion items from past conferences/ timeline:===

|| || 2010 Conference planning time line:"Transliteracy in a Mobile World" Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks. from __http://nlabnetworks.typepad.com/transliteracy/__ Bobbi Newman’s blog:__http://librarianbyday.net/transliteracy/__ AASL Standards for 21st-Century Learners - Think, Create, Share, Grow From the 2008 evaluation survey, some things to think about:

    • 2nd Keynote: While everyone loved Carmen Agra Deedy, many would have preferred a 3rd session.
    • There were some suggestions to eliminate the Administrator's Breakfast- what was the attendance? Perhaps eliminating this would allow time for a 2nd keynote AND a 3rd session? from Irene: I like the 2nd keynote idea.
    • Lunch: there was a positive response to having lunch at the same time, several would have preferred a hot meal instead of boxed lunch. Perhaps we could combine a 2nd keynote with lunch? an author's luncheon? from Irene: That's an idea worth examining. Of course, the cost would be higher. Buffet?
    • Vendors- most responses felt that the rooms were too crowded. They would have preferred to have the vendors in one room.
    • Too much down time in the middle of the day- many attendees felt that 2 hours was too much down time. Would have preferred a 3rd session. Perhaps roundtable discussions? Poster sessions?

October/November
      1. Review past conference report and discuss recommendations
      2. Verify location and date--Sunday pre-conference, Monday Conference Contact proposed big name speakers
      3. Set future meeting dates for conference committee if meeting during Board meetings is not sufficient time
      4. Announce date and theme in CASLgram , on the web site and in a bulk e-mail
      5. Ask for volunteers to take responsibility for a task
      1. Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cromwell
2. Date: Preconference--November 7
Conference-Monday, November 8
Place Information is on the web site
3. Volunteers
a. Registrars will be Anne Weimann and Martha Djang
b. Hospitality—
Pencils and pads will be included in registration packet? These are ordered in September, so we can decide on give aways at a later date.
c. Interactive evaluation form—? create on Zoho
d. Book sales— subcontract again?
e. Volunteers—coordinated by ?
f. Authors— Jake Halpern,
December / January
1.Continue brainstorming ideas
2. Call for presenters in CASLgram , on the web site and in a bulk e-mail Ask K-12 Library Media Coordinators to ask their departments to submit proposals
3.Notify CECA and NESLA and other New England state associations about the conference date
1.Chose conference theme: "Transliteracy in a Mobile World"
2. Confirmed keynote: Buffy Hamilton
3. Confirmed author for two sessions: Jake Halpern (I.L. 5-8 for forthcoming Dormia due April 28, 2010)
4. Traditional program, literature, technology strands
5. Balance sessions based on strands and audience level
6. Lucia will seek vendor chair. Paula will serve as Vendor Chair.
February / March
      1. Continue to organize the program
      2. Finalize presenters by March
      3. Discuss registration costs
      4. Discuss making membership part of the registration
      5. Decide on gifts for non-paid presenters
      6. Find out from Chris Frazza at the Crown plaza what rooms are available and how many each room will hold
      7. Prepare a survey on Zoho Creator: Here is a list of proposed presenters/topics--what session do you think you might attend? Then schedule most popular in the largest room This will be done after the list of presenters is finalized
      8. Letter to possible sponsors of administrative breakfast, ice-cream social, continental breakfast- the request is part of the mailing that Paula sends out.
1. Develop criteria for request for proposals:
Call for presenters has been sent out and posted on the website. It was decided that free registration will be offered to the first presenter from each chosen program. March 30th is the deadline.
2. Will have a breakfast, but with a different theme- perhaps One Book, One Conference: Bernie Trilling's book
3. Have confirmed Charles Smith as a General Session speaker, at lunchtime
3.Use past schedule fee? Will have to increase fees slightly to cover cost increases. No more than $5-10 in any area.
4. Crowne Plaza- Jackie & Irene visited the Crowne Plaza. We have all the rooms on the main level reserved.
5. Lucia created a letter to send to local authors, offering free table space in the vendor area.
6. We will use the bookstore we have used the past 2 years to supply books. We discussed creating a survey/order form to help manage the number of books transported back and forth.

.
4. Membership will not be part of registration?
5. Hospitality will decide on gifts for non-paid presenters- or we will offer free registration to 1st person in each presentation team.
6. Room assignment survey— after list of presenters is finalized.
c. Administrators Breakfast? Change to "Leadership Breakfast" ? Join the discussion
7. Seek sponsors - is part of the packet sent out by Paula (Vendor chair)
April
Vendor chair review vendor forms and packets , revise list of vendors: Update, delete, add Letter to vendors Share letter to vendors with Mary Lou Cassotto so she can modify it for authors
Send vendor packet to be returned by April 30

Send letters inviting presenters and rejecting presenters
Rough draft of registration form
Put interactive registration form on the website
CASL Board members locate the e-mail addresses of vendors. Vendor chair compose vendor letter. Anne Weimann invite vendors by e-mail. Anne Weimann will invite authors to be vendors? Compile a list of authors? Lucia is working on the list of local authors.
Vendors:
Hotspots?—Previously,6 vendors chosen to be hotspots and will pay $50.00 more for the privilege. If we get more than 6 volunteering, we will drop names out of the hat.
Vendor chair needs help for Crowne, Nutmeg and Garden areas. Helper will work part of the conference and be able to attend either afternoon or morning sessions. Free registration.
Authors? Previously considered vendors and allowed to buy half tables for $160. List of the authors that attended?
Notify presenters and get presenter information—an interactive form is available.
Generate interactive registration form.
May
1.Notice of confirmed presenters in CASLgram
2. Start putting information on the website and CASL ning including FAQs
3. Preliminary Conference brochure
Create brochure , proofed by the committee, distributed by Anne Weimann, posted to web site by Jenn Cirino
June
Bring proposed conference schedule to the board and post it on the web site
Meet with Tammy Strong to finalize presentation room arrangements and menus |

July
Estimated floor plan for vendor tables--big spenders with oversized booths should be up front –Assign Hot spots

August
Finalize conference program and post to web site

September
Create invitations and registration flyers to send to invited guests and presidents of CECA, CLA, various curriculum groups, president of MA, RI, NH, VT, ME, President of NESLA
Confirm all travel , room needs with presenters
Hospitality should submit a master room list
Order registration materials (folder, pens, pencils, paper pads, name badges and gifts for presenters
1. President to send letter of invitation to fellow presidents.
Don't forget AV equipment for speakers (use hotel provider?)
October
Meet with Hotel staff to confirm arrangements Treasurer to sign credit card authorization form Call in Food counts 2 weeks prior to the event Add 30-40 for walk in Order Vendor box lunches
Confirm AV equipment order with hotel subcontractor
November
Enjoy the conference Take photographs for post conference publicity
At the conference , ask vendors to schedule the next year conference
Don't forget rooms signs for presenters (hotel provides easels) Sign printer (vendor)
November after conference
All expense reimbursements forwarded to treasurer Debriefing dinner and thank you to the committee,
Financial report as complete as it can be

December
Conference report due in writing to the Board Send vendors thank yous, holiday greetings and remind them of the conference date next year